Lolo Jones, seeking redemption after blowing her gold-medal run in 2008, came in fourth.

Pearson finished in 12.35 seconds, two hundredths of a second ahead of Harper while setting a new Olympic record in the rain. Wells finished in third in 12.48.

After crossing the finish line, Pearson wasn't sure that she'd won, but when the times were flashed on the Olympic Stadium scoreboard, she collapsed in joyful tears. Harper applauded her.

The race ensured Pearon's place as the top female hurdler in the world.

And it effectively ended Jones' comeback story.

Four years ago in Beijing, she was the favorite to win the event. She led through eight hurdles, then clipped the ninth, and failed to medal.

Since then, Jones, telegenic and charismatic, has become a media obsession, and Jones fueled it by speaking openly about her personal life – from a homeless childhood to her struggles to maintain her virginity -- in interviews and on Twitter. The media attention grew to such a frenzy that Harper, the woman who beat her and everyone else in 2008 – and who had her own compelling personal story of escaping poverty – openly wondered why she was living in Jones’ shadow.